Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

[Sidaway]

There's an active petition you can sign to this effect, if you're so inclined.

I'm not sure if we're allowed to link to it directly? Anyway, if you enter this thread's title into Google, it should come up.

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

Here is where to sign ⬇️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex

63,630 💚🤍💜

It said write to your mp after signing so I wrote to mine. It's a labour mp. Apparently the EA does not need clarification but hate crime laws based on gender id need strengthening.
No mention of female dignity which is what I am interested in.
Whilst actual gender id hate crimes will happen and must be dealt with, make no mistake: there are plans to make challenging anyone in single sex spaces on sex grounds instead of gender id, a hate crime. This is definitely not a drill.
Whether or not the EA is updated, how female dignity is regarded needs to be a topic in parliament.

@Blister where are you getting this info from RE challenging gender ID into single sex spaces becoming a hate crime?

Blister · Today 15:45
It said write to your mp after signing so I wrote to mine. It's a labour mp. Apparently the EA does not need clarification

Well done for writing to your MP, Blister.

Obviously the Equality Act does need to make clear that sex means biological sex as otherwise Lady Haldane of the Scottish judiciary would not have ruled that, if the 2010 writers of the law had meant biological sex, they would have written that.

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

Yo sign ⬇️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex

@MuffytheWooWooSlayer from his reply to me. I don't feel safe enough to copy it in here in whole.

I'll find a way.

63,700

Thank you for writing to your MP. Do you feel able to keep communicating with them? If not, raise with your friends and family? Perhaps others in your area can also contact this MP.

63,825

I almost think Edinburgh South and North need another colour. I think they use purple in exceptionally hot weather conditions. Perhaps that would work.

I didn't feel the mp was open to communicate (he promoted white ribbons day though so he does have some thoughts on women and safety).

I'm more into research than campaigning. This is new territory for me...

I'll feel my way through in real life but I have to be cautious. Cost of living is high and I'm highly replaceable. But this issue is important enough for me to try what I can.

Completely understand 💚🤍💜

We can all only ever do what we can, @Blister! Good on you for emailing your MP. I'll follow this up with mine (also Labour - GC but on the down low) and see what she makes of it?

The amazing numbers signing this petition are telling me it's time to be much braver. While I no longer have a career to lose, I do have two 30-something DCs who have me treading carefully "keeping the peace". Because of course, that's what I've always done. Time to Publicly Rebel I think 😎

Please spread the word.

The whole of Edinburgh is raging. Perhaps they could be purple, white and green on the map.

💚🤍💜

Blister · Today 19:07
I didn't feel the mp was open to communicate (he promoted white ribbons day though so he does have some thoughts on women and safety).

I'm more into research than campaigning. This is new territory for me...

I'll feel my way through in real life but I have to be cautious. Cost of living is high and I'm highly replaceable. But this issue is important enough for me to try what I can.

Writing to your MP was already doing a lot.

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex

63,895 💚🤍💜

I have just seen this reply to a tweet about how Labour will win the next election in spite of their party line in favour of TRA ideology.

This reply makes the point that as Labour say they are in favour of the single sex exemptions laid out in the Equality Act, they should be in favour of this petition.

I myself am not so sure given Kier Starmer would have transwomen on all women shortlists, but it could be worth stressing that according to this Telegraph report regarding planned Labour reform of the GRA ( in favour of self-ID)
a party spokesman said: “All political parties agree that the process needs modernising. A future Labour government will consult on what that looks like, while upholding the Equality Act and maintaining single-sex spaces.
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/12/23/keir-starmer-pro-trans-laws-needed-across-uk/

“Labour has a strong and proud record of standing up for women’s rights. Our commitment to them is unrelenting.”

So we should be able to write to MPs, including all the pro TRA ones, to say that clarifying the EA to make clear that ‘sex’ means biological sex- in light of what happened in Scotland where Lady Haldane said sex is not biological- is the best way to uphold the EA, just as Labour has committed to.

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

Meanwhile, to sign ⬇️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex

63,967 💚🤍💜

Paraphrasing my labour mp:

1. proud of the Equality Act,

1. will oppose any attempts by the Government to weaken its protections for people with protected characteristics - correctly naming sex and gra.

My interpretation is that naming biological sex can be perceived as undermining the gra so he will oppose this petition but he did not explicitly state this.

1. MP skipped talking about the sex category specifically
2. Went on to lecture about love and the most persecuted.
3. Ending on a lecture on strengthening hate crime laws against people on the basis of gender ID is the progressive way forward.

In my eyes, labour thinks it is perfecting the art of protecting single sex spaces and simultaneously calling everything transphobia. Women are just pawns in their tight rope walk of little integrity and lots of compromise.
So yes they'll win because people really want to believe their single sex stance. Lots of questions need to be asked.

Just over 64K.

Thank you, it’s quite incredible really isn’t it.

Labour can say they will protect single sex spaces but also that male sex offenders (with or without a GRC?) who claim that they are women are of the female sex and so belong in women’s single sex spaces. And sounds like they see women correctly sexing a male person in a place they expected to be single sex for women as a potential hate crime.

64,036 💚🤍💜

Please sign and share ⬇️

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex?page=1